Well, it’s that time of year when we all spend time with loved ones and curse the TV Gods for the fact that there’s nothing good to watch until January.  But have no fear!  SB and I are here to guide you through a recap of the 2011 portion of the 2011/2012 tv season (as well as those shows that have aired complete seasons since our last Wrap-Up in June) and maybe even finally guilt you into checking out that show you’ve been meaning to catch up with on Netflix or DVD (*cough* Breaking Bad *cough*) while you avoid your racist relatives and drink too much gin and red wine, or maybe that’s just me. As always, my thoughts are in purple and SB’s are in blue, and big thanks to hockeybychoice for helping us out with gifs and pics for these posts!

True Blood

I think that it’s safe to say that I liked season four a lot better than seasons two and especially three, which was my least favorite of all.  But I can also confidently say that my enjoyment of season four was increased by a factor of a thousand during the season finale with the elements that were introduced as a set-up for next year.  So overall I liked it, but I LOVED those last few minutes and am super-pumped for season five.  

First off though, kudos for ending that meth/gang rape/werepanther bullshit pretty early on (I really could have done without the scenes of young-looking sister-wives lining up to violate Jason though).  It was incredibly disturbing and incredibly stupid.  You can have one or the other, but not both (just look at Will Schuester on Glee for further proof of how terrible that combination is).  I also liked the Jason/Hoyt/Jessica storyline a lot, but they’re my three favorite characters so that’s no surprise.

The best though was that last episode and the reveal of two amazing things: the return of Russell Edgington and also of VAMPIRE STEVE NEWLIN!!!!  I have made no secret of my love for the Newlins, and I assumed that he was going to resurface because we’d been hearing little tidbits about the fact that he was missing all through season 4, but when he popped his fangs at Jason’s door, I died.  Next year has to be great, right?  All of that PLUS the fact that Chris Meloni is joining the show!  I haven’t been this excited for a season of TB since the end of season one.    

Agreed, I really can’t wait for next season.  I was starting to feel like I could wait for the rest as it came out on DVD, but the return of both Steve Newlin AND Russel Edgington, the best, most badass, batshit insane villain this show has ever had?  Yeah, I’m in.

This season had some real highlights for me, and several things that didn’t really work as well.  I love, love, LOVED the show jumping ahead in time a year and more or less eliminating the fairy bullshit.  Hoyt and Jessica’s relationship falling apart, while horribly painful to watch, was also really, really well done, and I enjoyed the Sookie and Eric triangle, particularly when Eric regained his memory.  Marnie was a good Big Bad, and Lafayette kicked MAJOR ass channeling various crazy bitches.  Oh, and Tommy’s death?  HEARTBREAKINGLY good.

Now, for what I did not enjoy as much–pretty much everything involving Sam, up until the point Tommy died; Tara, but that’s nothing new (although her death made my life, temporarily, until I heard she’d be back); and the use of Jesus.  It’s probably best that he’s dead too, because did anyone else feel like he just became the exposition fairy?  Until, that is, Holly showed up as the exposition fairy, literally?

Bottom line, in typical True Blood fashion, it was both good and bad, but the entertaining parts generally won me over enough to make it worth it.  True Blood seems to be on an every other season swing for me (much like Top Chef)–I liked S1, hated S2, liked S3 more, liked S4 a little less, and am looking forward to a kickass S5.